The Song from Somewhere Else

The Song from Somewhere Else
by A. F. Harrold
Bloomsbury Children's Books, (2016 uk) 2017. Fiction. 217 p.
Frank, (short for Francesca) has been mercilessly bullied by Neil and his goons for over a year. She lives in fear and sees no way out. Then one day, Nick, a over-sized boy with body odor problems comes to her rescue. At first Frank is afraid that now he will want to be her friend, which would cause her more social problems. Yet something keeps bringing her back to his home, and slowly she comes to realize that he is more -much more- than he seems.

This is a great book about the emotional damage done by bullying and the healing possible through true friendship. Fern learns that she shouldn't judge by appearances, and that help can come from the most unexpected places. This book is as heartwarming as recent popular realistic fiction, but an added fantasy element gives it a broader appeal.

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